Recycling of newspaper, plastic, aluminum cans, glass and other trash items can be a very worthwhile venture.  You not only help the environment, but you make a profit doing it.

Years ago as a young boy, I would drive up and down the streets to find glass cola bottles (I called them all Coke bottles).  I would then ride to the store and cash these in for money and save it for something really special.

Times change and all of the bottling companies have practically gone the way of plastic.  There is still money to be made in recycling.

Why Recycling?

Recycling requires little manpower to accomplish.  It is certainly not the biggest of fundraisers, but will consistently and quietly pull in the profits once it is set up.

Small groups can expect to bring in $200 to $600 per year.  Larger groups should be able to make over $1,200 per year.

Money is there for the asking and it requires no money to get started.  Recycling will also give good public exposure to your group in a positive way.


Unmanned Drop-offs

For groups with limited manpower or time, a Recycling Center where others can drop off their recyclables on your behalf is a great way to raise cash.  This fundraiser is great for church Ladies Auxiliary Union or High School Choir or Band Auxiliaries.

This is the ideal fundraiser for smaller groups or associations with older people that cannot physically carry or lift the items for pick up. 

A Recycling Center will need to have a person that will monitor the pick-ups on a weekly basis.  Get the assistance of someone with a truck, because it will require delivery to a recycling center.   You may even plan to have the job rotated on a weekly or monthly basis that will allow all in the group to do their share.

You should plan to have at least four receptacles.  One receptacle each is needed for newspaper, glass, aluminum cans, and plastic jugs.

You can get these large plastic containers with wheels from most commercial garbage pick up service.  If you ask nicely, they may even donate these to your cause, especially if you plan to thank them publicly in some manner.


The Recycling Drive

Conduct a recycling drive when you have adequate manpower and want to limit your recycling efforts for a short time frame.

The Recycling Drive should be done over a three-week period:

First week, pass out flyers about your pick up in your neighborhood.  Mention that you will have a pick up station at the local grocery store or gas station.  Mention that your group will be by to pick up their recyclables on Saturday from 8am to 2 PM.

State that the recyclable materials should be separated and that they should be left at the mailbox before pick up begins on the Saturday chosen.  Ask that the items should be relatively clean of food or drink. 

Make known that you will have a follow-up collection in six months at a set date and that they can collect their recyclables for the next six months for a special pick-up.  Advise your contributors that they can set up an ongoing monthly recycle pick-up that your group will monitor.

Second week, continue to pass out flyers to homes, shoppers at local grocery stores and with pizza delivery companies as they take their orders out.  Include your phone number on the flyer for special pick-ups.

Third week, conduct the Neighborhood Recycling Drive.  Have several teams with trucks and/or trailers for pick up.  Each team should have runners that will do all of the pickups.  Instruct all team members with safety, especially when dealing with glass objects and road awareness.


Follow-up

Conduct a follow-up in six months that will allow your group to recover even more recyclables and establish a group of concerned contributors that will give to you on a monthly basis.  Picking up recyclables on a monthly basis will require less manpower, but will bring in 20 times the amount of recyclable materials as in a one-shot approach.

You can also set up a Recycling Center as stated above at a set location for the convenience of your contributors and to attract new contributors.  Make sure that the information about your new Recycling Center is clearly stated in the next flyer that you distribute in a follow-up collection drive.

Note:  Try to get a local print shop to print your flyer for you as a contribution.  Ask the printer to print on recycled paper (clearly stamped on the paper at the bottom) and to put the business name, address and phone number in fine print at the bottom for his or her efforts.  This is great advertising for this printer  hand delivered notice of his services.


Money On The Ground

And alternative to the above two scenarios is conducting a Great Garbage Grab-A-Thon.  Make money by picking up other peoples garbage that is thrown out on the roads and waterways.

If done right, Recycling is a steady fundraiser and friendraiser as you get out into the community and make a positive impact for all.  Find out about the recycling process at Recycling4Live.


Alternative Fundraising Recycling Programs

Do you want to make some really big bucks from picking up  "trash"?  If so, then go right now and look at the Inkjet Recycling Fundraiser and fill out the Inkjet Cartridge Recycling Fundraising Sign-up Form and you'll receive a packet explaining how your group can bring in extra money effortlessly. 

Ask the homes and businesses you visit to give you their used inkjet and laser cartridges.  You can get from $.50 up to $16.00 for each used cartridge.  This could boost your recycling fundraiser by hundreds of dollars.

There is another way to raise funds by recycling old cell phones.  Check out the Funding Factory's Cell Phone Recycling Program.

Really, this is minimal effort for big returns.  Continue going to several businesses each month to increase your funding efforts.